Back rest and pull-out for sliding couches



1940- s. WEISSMAN El AL 2,139,138

BACK REST AND PULL-OUT r012 SLIDING COUCHES Filed Nov. 1. 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W ATTQRN E Y Feb. 6, 1940. 5 w ss N ET AL 2,189,188

BACK BEST AND PULL-OUT FOR SLIDING COUCHES Filed Nov. 1, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Jamue/ ll e/ssmen ATTORNEY Feb. 6, 1940. WEESMAN HAL K 2,189,188

BACK REST AND PULL-OUT FOR SLIDING COUCHES Filed Nov. 1, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N V E N TO R 5 Samae/ IVE/3501a ATTORNEY Patent dFeb. 6, 1940 l p it U I 2 1 9 1 UNITEDT STATES PATENT oFFlCE j BACK REST AND PULL-OUT FOR slimmer COUCHES Samuel WeissmanandRalplrWeisman, l Detroit, Mich;

. Application November 1 1935, Serial No. 47,780 1 claim. (01. 18)

The present invention pertains to a novel back a straight line and in the proper direction so that rest and pull-out for extension beds of the type there is no binding as stated above. v commonly known as studio couches. .A studio Finally, the back rest is adapted tobe swung couch consists of a couch base enclosing, a bed down against the forward side of the .couchbase spring and slidably mounted over the same','the and in such a manner as to lie entirely beneath 5 spring resting on the floor so that the couch base the top'of the end rails and for the most part bemay be pulled out from the spring to form a. bed neath'the top of the fixed pad on the couch base. of double width or completely detached from the In this position the backrest isentirely out of the bed spring to form twin beds. The couch base way of'a person lying on the couch baseand also 1U carries twopads or mattresses; one of which is does not interfere withplacing the bed sheets 10 loose and may be transferred to the bed spring on the couch base or. removingthem. Moreover, to lie on the same level as the pad remaining on the back rest in its suspended position is spaced the couch base. g from the floor sufiiciently to permit foot room .be. A studio couch is also equipped with a set heath it, which is'also desirable in laying th-ezbed of. loose back cushionswhich are leaned against h e s d re t m- 1 z the wall, inasmuch as a studio couch ordinarily The, invention is fully disc by y Of ex 5 has no back rest. This feature is objectionable amplein th f owing descrip n the for several reasons. It is not always desirable to companying drawings i W i place the couch close to a wall, and in such a case, Figure 1 is 3 p s e w. of a Studio ll the back pillows must either be dispensed with or av a m edb rest and u d-J awkwardly placed, or the couch must be placed g t he invention, one of the h pillows i m in other than the most desirable position. removed f t e p r o e a on; a Further, even if the couch is placed close to Figure 2 is n end View showing thebackrest a wall, the position oi-the back illows is such in e s a u and t eps as to leave a large width between them and the P l y from the bed p I 2:;

forward edge of the couch, so that it is not com- Figure 3 is l V S w heo uoh fortable for an occupant to recline against the base fully unoovermg e b spring d the pullback pillows, especially in thecase of a short out in itSSllSPended idlepOsltloni i I person. l Figure 4 is. a detail elevation showing the in still another objection to the conventional her side of one of the end rails and theettaohso studio couch is that the base cannot alwa s easily n of thebeok st h e p l M be pulled away from the bed springbecause of Flgure 515 a sectlon o the lme of bindin if the pull is in a slightly oblique direcure 4;

tion or not exactly perpendicular to the length F e 6 is an end i of a dified construeof the couch. The same difficulty occurs, to'some 171011} l l .35 extent, in pushing the couch base over the bed Flgures 7 and are news of a l fie spring v construction, showing the back rest in dlflerent The object of the present invention is to overi P come the aforementioned objections and is ac- Flgllre 9 1S a detafl elevatlon of the d showing the slot. t i a i u 3 ii'i 4 compushed by the prov S on Q combm'ed back Reference to these views wlll now be made by rest and pull-out of original construction. This a l use of like characterswhich are employed to desmembel s 111 the nature of a frame havlng a swlvignate corresponding parts throughout I V a el connection to the end rails of the couch base. In Figure Iris illustrated acouch base having Thus, the seating width is shortened when the feet 2 in its corners can ylng rollers;3 on which back. p111OWS are placed aga t b rest, the base is adapted to ride. Thetopof the base it beingunderstood that the actual width of the proper consists v a padeor mattress 4 resting couch cannot be reduced without converting it to on a concealed bed spring within the base and l a less comfortable bed. In addition to the swivel suitably upholstered as 11 t t Another bed attachment of the back rest, it may also h a spring 5 of conventional construction, resting on 60 S d movement in the rails until l'egsfi; stands on the floor and is normally conreeohing a p t n the w rd ds f th cealed within the couch base. The couch base is rails. In this forward position, theback rest adapted to be rolled from over the bed spring 5 becomes a pull-out by means of which the couch as. illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, these parts re- 'base may be pulled away from the bed spring in maining eitherattached to each other as shown 66 or being separated from each other, if desired.

This is the construction of the conventional studio I couch. After the couch has been extended in this manner, a pad or mattress l lying loose on the pad 4 is transferred to the bed spring 5, as in Figure 3, whereby both pads are brought to the same ,level. The studio couch further includes three back pillows 8 which usually are reclined against the wall at which the couch is positioned.

As stated above, there are certain difficulties inherent in the placing of the back pillows on a backless couch and in the pulling of the couch base away from the stationary bedspr-ing. The

means for overcoming these difficulties, according to the present invention, will now be described. At each end of the couch base issecured'an arm rest 9 or other suitable means for carrying end rails ill. These rails lie approximately in the plan'of the loose bad i I when it is superimposed on the fixed pad 4.

In the upper edge of each rail to, near the rear endthereof, is cuta forwardly sloping notch or slot II. The upper edge of each rail I0 is also notched near its forward end as indicated by the numeral 12 in Figures 1 and 2. p

The back rest for the couch consists of an inverted U-shaped frame l3 with internal bracing and filling structure M. The free ends of the frame 13 carry alined brackets l5 bent outwardly at l6 and again downwardly at I! to extend into close proximity of theinner surfaces of the rails I0, respectively, as shown more clearly in Figure 5. Each end I! carries a pin l8 extending through the corresponding slot H and formed with a head l9 disposed at the outer side of the rail to prevent the frame from readily detaching itself from the rail. Each rail Ill carries an inwardly extending fixed pin 28 behind the notch H. The brackets I5, which are curved as shown in Figure '4, rest on the pins 20 when the pins l8 are in the rearward ends of the slots H, whereupon the'weight of the frame [3 binds the pins l 8 against the upper edges of the slots; As shown in Figure 1, the back rest is adapted to support the back pillows 8 in a nearly upright position, and it is not necessary to place the couch against a wall for this purpose. Moreover, the seating or exposed width of the upper pad I is thereby reduced to a morecomfortable dimension than when the pillows 8 are reclined against a wall.

In pulling the couch base to expose the bed spring 5, the operator first removes the pillows I3 is then grasped near its center by one or both hands and pulled forwardly. The initial pulling movement swings the frame on its pivots l8, and the continued pull draws the couch base from the bed spring 5, as shown in Figure 2.

When the couch base has been withdrawn as far as desired, theback rest is lifted to remove the ends l8 from their slots l I, and the pins are brought forwardly on the upper edges of the rails Ill. The back rest is then drawn forwardly until the pins l8 are received in the notches l2, and the rest is finally swung downward to the position shown in Figure 3.

Because of the construction previously described, the back rest in its suspended position has no parts lying immediately over the pad 4 to interfere with the comfort of anyone lying thereon. Also, the frame i3 is of such height as to leave a clearance 2| above the floor, sufficient for the insertion of ones feet beneath. the frame. This clearance is very desirable, for if the frame skewing the frame.

l3 reached the floor, the person laying the bed sheets or otherwise handling the couch would be likely to stub his toes against the frame.

In this connection, it is to be noted that the back rest and pull-out is conveniently disposed of after having served its purpose, without the necessity of being detached from the couch. Nevertheless, if it is desired to detach the back rest for any reason, it is readily removed from the notches I l as previously described.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, each endlr'ail l I has a lengthwise slot 22 with upwardly rounded or enlarged ends H and I2 occupying respectively the relative positions of the notches H and I2 of Figure l. The back rest frame I3 is constructed as previously described, and its end brackets l5 rest on fixed pins 20 carried by the rails It, thereby lifting the headed pins l8 upwardly in the enlargement H.

In being drawn forward, the frame l3 rides along the slots 22 until reaching the forward enlargements l2 when it may be dropped to the position shown in Figure 3. In this position the frame may be detached from the rails, if desired, by successively removing the headed pins l8 from the enlargements l2, which is possible by slightly This construction has the advantages of not requiring lifting of the frame before drawing it forward.

In the modification shown in Figures '7, 8 and 9, the frame of the back rest at is of inverted U- shape as in the previous constructions. From the base of the frame, at each end, as viewed in Figure 7 extends a leg 3i perpendicularly to the plane of the frame or towards the forward edge of the couch. The length of this leg is approximately half the length of the end rail 32 or width of the couch base. The angle between the leg andv the contiguous side of the frame is approximately 90, for a purpose that will presently appear. At approximately the mid-point of each rail 32 the free end of the corresponding leg 3| is pivotally held by a bolt 33 and a thin nut 34 at the inner side of the rail. "The bolt has a shoulder 33' engaging the outer side of the rail so that the binding action of the bolt and nut is on the rail, leaving the leg free to swing. While in upright position, each leg 3| also rests upon a stud 36 carried by the corresponding rail 32 at a point rearward of the-pivotal connection.

Thecouch base is drawn out by merely pulling the frame 30 forwardly in the manner described in connection with the previous constructions. The frame is then dropped to the position shown in Figure '7. When the frame is dropped, it assumes a position wherein the legs 3! and ends of the frame 38 lie alongside the upper end edges andforward vertical edges, respectively, of the couch base, due to the fact that the leg 3! is half the width of the rail 32 and pivoted at the midpoint thereof.

By reasonof the bolt and nut construction described, the back rest may readily be removed if it is not wanted, by merely releasing the nuts.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention, as indicated by the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A studio couch having a main base and an inner base, the main base being adapted to be drawn forwardly to uncover the. inner base, lower. and upper seat cushions normally placed on the main base, the upper cushion being adapted for use as a mattress for the inner base when the latter is uncovered, unitary end frames attached upon the outer ends of said main base and each having an upper transverse member serving as an arm rest and a transverse rail below said upper member and substantially on a level with the topof the upper cushion,a back having upright end portions and a longitudinal stretcher connected to wardly from the bottom thereof substantially along said rails and pivoted at their forward ends about midway between the ends of the rails to permit the back to be swung forwardly, whereby in an intermediate position it serves as a pull to draw the mainbase forwardly and in a lower forward position it lies wholly'in front of, adjacent to and below the top of the lower cushion so as not to obstruct entrance at the front of the SAMUEL WEISSMAN.

RALPH WEESMAN. 

